William strong



(No Model.)

W. STRONG.

HOSE COUPLING 'POR STREET WASHERS.

No.. 326,604. Patented septyzz, 1885.

WIT 55115: 6L/f f VILLIAM STRONG, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF rIO CHARLES ANESHAENSEL, JR., OF SAME PLACE.

HOSE-COUPLING FOR STREET-WASHERS.

SPECIFICATION forming'part oi' Letters Patent No. 326,604, dated September 22, 1885.

Application tiled June 22, 1855.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM STRONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in t-he county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hose-Couplings for Street-Washers, of whichl the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a coupling to be used to connect one end of a hose to a water-works pipe contained and terminating in a cast-iron casing and box located on a level with the surface of the ground, andl commonly calledk a street-washei"7 or streetsprinklen77 Heretofore the end of the hose had to be screwed directly onto the end of the vertical water-works pipe contained in the streetwasher box. It always was a troublesome and diflicult task to make a water-tight connection between hose and pipe, on account of the box being small and down in the grouud, and it requiring the aid of a wrench to screw the hose tight onto the water-pipe. Thus children and ladies, not possessing the necessary strength and mechanics tools,seldom succeeded in Inaking the coupling watertight, and often more water leaked out and was wasted at the pointI of coupling than came out at the nozzle of the hose. Further, the hosebeing screwed to the water-pipe in a vertical position, and then being carried around horizontally in order to reach and sprinkle the surroundings, the hose became twisted and kiuked at its angle-point and soon wore out, causing constant repairs and expense. I avoid all these objections by the independent coupling connecting the hose and water-pipe, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a vertical cross-section through a common street-washer box and my hosecoupling attached to the end of the waterpipe; Fig. 2, a horizontal section through my coupling ou line X X on Fig. l; Fig. 3, a horizontal section through the same on line Z Z on Fi l.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is the vertical cast-iron casing, in which the water-pipe, C rises from the horizontal water-main below the ground; B, a cast-iron box secured to the top end of the casing A and 1o- (No model.)

cated on a level with the surface of the ground. The water-pipe C terminates in the box B, and

is provided with a screw-threaded shoulder,

c, butting against .the under side of the bottom b of the box B. In this shoulder c operates the screw-threaded end of the liftingbolt F, which extends up through the bottom b of the box B and terminates in asquare head titting into the square hollow end of the key K. 6o The liftingbolt F is held in the same horizontal position with the .bottom of the box B by the flangef, cast on the bolt F above the bottom ofthe box B, and the lianged rim g, bolted to the bottom b and overlapping the flange f. The turning of the key K raises the waterpipe C from or presses the same onto a valveseat at the point of connection between the vertical pipe Gand the horizontal water-works main down in the ground, thus turning on or 7o shutting olf the water.

The device described so far is old, and constitutes what is called a street-washer orstreetsprinklen77 The attachment or hose-coupling I claim as my invention is constructed and put on in the following manner: A circular upward-tapering hollow stem, H, is provided at its base with an enlarged socket, 7L,circular, and screwthreaded on the inside to screw over and re- 8o ceive the end of the water-pi pe C, and square or hexagonal on the outside to fit the jaws of a wrench, I. The wrench I is prevented from slipping down off from the nut-socket h by the circular flange h', cast on and projecting out- 85 ward from the socket. The stem H has a solid top, with a smoothly-turned-off top surface, out of the center of which rises a screw-threaded bolt, h2, of smaller diameter than the top of the stem I-I. Slipped over the stem H and 9o closely fitting onto the same is the hollow ball L, from the interior of which projects out horizontally the hollow pipe Z, screw-threaded on the outside to receive the end of the hose M. The ball L is kept in position with the stem H by a washer, m, fitting around the screwbolt h'Z and resting on the upper rim of the ball L and on the top surface of the stem H, the washer m being pressed down onto both by the nut n. The water rising in the pipe C Ico and stem H passes through the openings o o in the walls of the stem H into the hollow core of the ball L, and from there through the outlet-pipel into the hose M. The connection between the hose M and the pipe C and stein H being made thus in a horizontal direction, and the ball L turning around the stem H without causing the ow of water to cease, as the hollow core of the ball L permits the water to circulate around the stem H and to escape through the pipe Z, even in case one of the holes o o is not opposite the pipe l, the operator is enabled to carry the hose around the street\vasher in any direction without'kinking or twisting the hose at the coupling. rIhe wrench I is slipped over the stem H onto the nut h before the ball L is secured in position. After the ball is put in its proper place the wrench is preventedl from coming off of t-he nut h and from being lost or misplaced by the flange h on the socket h and the ball L and4 pipe l, thus forming always ready means to screw the stem H tight onto the pipe C. Elastic washers w ware inserted into the socket h to secure a water-tight joint. The handle of wrench I is bent up so that it extends over the l i of a flange, h', extending out from -the socket top of the box B, thus giving ample room to operate the same.

I disclaim the use, in a pipe or hose coupling with a swivel or ball-andsocketjoint, of a hollow stem, H, provided with the openings and outlets o o.

Having thus fully described the construction and operation of my improved hose-coupling, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A hosecoupling for street-washers, havsocket, h, square or nut shaped ing a conical hollow stem, H, closed at the top, and provided with openings o o in its side walls, an enlarged socket, h, square or nut shaped on the outside and round and screw-threaded on the inside, a screw-bolt, h2, projecting upward from the stem H, as described, a hollow ball, L, tting snugly at top and bottom onto the stem H, and being provided with an outlet-pipe, l, and a washer, m, and nut n, forming means to keep the ball L in its proper position on the stem H, all constructed as described, and for the purpose specied.

2. The combination, with a hose-coupling for street-washers, having a conical hollow stem, H, closed at the top, and provided with openings o o in its side walls, an enlarged on the outside and round and screw-threaded on the inside, a screw-bolt, h2, projecting upward from the stem H, as described, a hollow ball, L, ttng snugly at top and bottom onto the stem H, and being provided with an outlet-pipe, Z, and a washer, m, and nut n, forming means to keep the ball L in its proper position on thestem H,

hf, and a wrench. I, kept in place on the socket h by said flange h,and the ball L, all constructed as described, and for the purpose specified. In testimony whereof I havesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLI AM STRONG.

Vitnesses:

GHAs. E. LANGBEIN, CHARLES ANEsHAENsEL, Jr. 

